Monday's Child: Dante is a sweet, affectionate young man who loves hugs and wrestling

Dante, 13, loves wrestling.

Dante is a sweet, affectionate young man who loves hugs. He is great at interpreting facial expressions and identifying emotions. Dante has a strong interest in wrestling and is the proud owner of several wrestling action figures that he spends a great deal of time playing with. He also loves playing video games, listening to music and dancing. Dante enjoys playing with other children and caring for the goats and donkey at his residential care facility. He also enjoys playing on the swings and riding on scooters outdoors.

Dante is navigating the complexities of middle school with the support of an IEP. Dante has a great relationship with staff and is working on developing strong peer relationships.

Dante’s social worker is looking for a devoted family who will provide him with the love and guidance he needs. Interested families need to be firmly committed to provide appropriate ethnic and cultural role models and information with respect to his birth cultures, which includes discussing racism and discrimination. Developing and fostering relationships with his big brother and former foster family are very important, including calls and visits.

Can I adopt?

If you’re at least 18 years old, have a stable source of income and room in your heart, you may be a perfect match to adopt a waiting child.

Adoptive parents can be single, married or partnered; experienced or not; renters or homeowners; LGBTQ+ singles and couples. As an adoptive parent, you won’t have to pay any fees; adoption from foster care is completely free in Massachusetts.

The process to adopt a child from foster care includes training, interviews and home visits to determine if adoption is right for you. These steps will help match you with a child or sibling group that your family will fit well with.

To learn more about adoption from foster care, call the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE) at (617) 964-6273 or go to mareinc.org.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Monday's Child: Sweet, affectionate Dante loves hugs and wrestling